calneeagle

NLS; Chippenham Town 1 Maidstone Utd 0 (HT 0-0); att 637. Tight game settled by scruffy 96th minute goal by Harry Parsons after long throw-in. Style doesn't matter, 3 well battled-for points does. Finally a Saturday night with us not bottom. After anger & disappointment last Sat, a great week

YouTube video by coolmoyne CRYSTAL PALACE V CHELSEA FA CUP 1976

50 years ago today, my Dad, my brother Grahame & his friend Alan (?) set off for Stamford Bridge - FA Cup 4th Round.2 of us returned ecstatic, 2 were disappointed. One of Peter Taylor's finest outings. Big Mal, the fedora, trouble on the terraces.
Can't believe it's 50 years
youtu.be/2vs9XwhCy0Q?...

In my local earlier (not drinking bitter, obviously). It feels like they're getting at me... 😁

Excellent production of Tom Stoppard's 'Indian Ink' at @TheatreRBath, with Q&A session with many of cast afterwards.
Play written in 1995 for Tom's then partner Felicity Kendal, who was in this production, with Ruby Ashbourne Serkis playing her old part. Both were terrific.

FFS
For half an hour, excellent
Eight minutes of unbelievable FFS before HT.
No imagination after that.
Could have made ourselves virtually safe.
FFS
We'd better improve on that in Herzegovina next week...
#cpfc

NLS; Chippenham Town 1 Torquay United 0 (HT 0-0); att 865. A tremendous battling win against the league leaders, possibly fuelled by rage after Saturday's game-transforming red card. An entertaining game, great saves and goal line clearances were required. Heroes all
#prideandpassion

I've just realised how topical my nearly 8-year-old T-shirt (from Baseball Roadtrip 2018) has become. Justifies me having dozens of old T-shirts....
#Minneapolis

Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2025, National Portrait Gallery.
"...showcases the work of talented young photographers, gifted amateurs and established professionals in the very best of contemporary photography"
Certainly celebrating diversity.

Usual good stuff but also including survey results.

National League South; Chippenham Town 1 Chesham United 4 (HT 0-4); attendance 528.
Depleted side, but a new low.. Caved in after the first goal. Some pride regained second half. Very very wet at times, sadly not enough to cause an abandonment

White rabbits, everybody. The month may be short, but by the end of it we'll know a lot more about where Palace's season is headed. Also whether I have to tear a page out of the calendar.
Have a great month, particularly those who will be in Bosnia & Herzegovina with me.
#cpfc

Two photos of Lily published a year apart. She's upgraded from me during the course of the rise of the Meffs, clearly.....

#themeffs

NLS; Dorking Wanderers 2 Chippenham Town 1 (HT 1-1); att 1184. Dorking go 2nd with that, the Bluebirds stay bottom. Yet we played well. But they took their chances and we didn't. Rinse and repeat. Still trying to stay positive.

#LeeMiller exhibition at @Tate Britain. Quite the life from being in front of the lens to being behind it, working with surrealists, then by contrast Vogue (both sides of the Atlantic) and then War Correspondent.
A remarkable figure, a feminist icon, a very good exhibition.

Yesterday - @derelict_london walk; Bridges of London Pt 2 - Vauxhall to Putney. One of Paul's newest walks, excellent & with some familiar faces (but sadly not Grahame due to ill health). Covering much dog-spotting & Minder / Sweeney references, plus old venues & much much more.

National League South; Chippenham Town 1 Ebbsfleet United 4 (HT 0-2); attendance 649. Had the first big chance but once the visitors went ahead in the 42nd minute it was only ending one way. They were quicker and slicker. On to the next....

European Rugby Champions' Cup, last pool game, @BathRugby 63 Edinburgh 10.
A surprisingly one-sided thumping, 9 tries to 1 - and that despite a couple of butchered try misses.
Alfie Barbeary MotM again, with Borthwick watching. Top place in pool secured -> home advantage R of 16

Flights booked with a day in Sarajevo first to look at Princip / Franz Ferdinand stuff. Really looking forward to the away fans' cage in Mostar 😁
Would have preferred Olomouc, but at least we can't play Samsunspor until the final
#cpfc
#cpfceuropeantour

NLS; @ChipTownFC 2 Slough Tl 1 (HT 2-0); att 427. The Bluebirds played very well 1st half, had several chances, though the Rebels weren't without theirs. 2nd half, much more of Slough, but we held on, now 8 points from 4 games. The fight is definitely on.

Another Paul Talling walk - Lost Venues of Covent Garden. One of his older ones, which Grahame has already done, but I have had to dip out of in the past so finally caught up. Good as always and a nice crowd, including some familiar faces.

RIP David, left us 10 years ago today. Everything started going wrong then.....

That's funny, mine were a bit as well.

'The Art of Waiting' short-term exhibition, joint enterprise between Art Of, Added Time Club, CPFC & Crystal Palace Parks Trust. Small but beautifully formed. Chance to see the beautifully tiled Victorian subway, & another chance to milk the FA Cup win & bathe in the emotions of that. No shame there

Blooming cold, several empty seats, but not a bad atmosphere. 1st half pretty dull, second half more lively, on another day might have been 2-2, but 0-0 it was, & given the depleted numbers available to us, a worthy point against a Villa team who still can't beat us.
#cpfc

Retrospective @haywardgallery of the 21st Century portion of Gilbert & George's works. G & G remind me somewhat of (a much ruder) Morecambe & Wise...
I've loved them for what seems forever, so obvs loved this. They won't be with us forever - now 82 & 84. National treasures, IMHO

Gallagher PREM; @BathRugby 33, Exeter Chiefs 26 (HT 26-14). An odd game. Bath scored 4 tries while Chiefs were down to 14 after a 20-minute red card, Exeter chipped away, finally levelling with 6 mins left, only for Bath to grind their way through 38 phases of play for the winner

The usual excellent quality. Please fill in the new survey!

From my alma mater. An extraordinary number, and amazing to feel part of that as an alumnus. In fact, later this year will mark 50 years of my membership of this august institution, the second oldest college of Cambridge University.
Just over 7% of its existence!

HNY to you! x

And a pinch and a punch and white rabbits (don't punch the rabbits). Wonder how much of January will see Marc in the Red and Blue?....

#cpfc
#petermayboys
#coldwarsteve
#themeffs